You boys shouldn't read the ENTERTAINMENT and Sports Programming Network so much. They are full of sh!t and have no interest in "reporting" - that doesn't make them money. Their sources are shown to be crap... one even admitting he was paid to say he paid Manziel, yet they continue to pile on and on with everyone saying "Yea!" Whatever... :roll:
JM had gotten nowhere near the coverage as Manti's imaginary girlfriend did. But then that was so much more serious than claimed NCAA violations.
What was he guilty of that called for a penalty of 1/2 game? Was it related to signing autographs? :?:
Rumor has it that Miami gets a whopping 3/4 of a game suspension against FAU after waiting three years and is dropped from the upcoming Kardashian bikini episode.... I am protesting the angst of the NCAA with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton..Retirement soon to follow....
What really happened... JF did sign some items (Which is what the slap on the wrist is for - it somewhat breaks a different bylaw) but it was NOT a huge number. The scum brokers make tons of copies using an auto-pen, or other such device. They secretly video taped the signing so they could pass off their copies as the real McCoy. The question comes up of WHY? Well, I suspect Johnny and his idiotic best pall handler thought they were priming the pump. "We'll give you a couple things now, and then you'll make us a sweet deal after John wins his second Heisman and is heading to the NFL. But it all boils down to Joe Schad being a tool, and wanting to break something. He got a sniff of something he thought juicy, and ran with it rather than checking any of the sources. Hell for all I know he CREATED some of this... (paid them to say what he wanted) Remember the story that JF wanted cash for new wheels for the Merc? Well there are parking lot interview photos taken of JF from the spring (before any stories broke) and low and behold he still has his factory wheels - as he does today. This was just ESPN wanting to create something... and keep it going as long as possible. They have no interest in checking to see if what they say is correct or not. They simply throw out what will get them the biggest bang and don't give a damn what scorched earth they leave behind. Now a lot of us are asking: When do Clowney and the other guys who have over 150 signed items for sale on ebay get their suspensions?? You guys will think what you want... and that's fine. I know I was pissed at the kid initially... but I've seen a lot of the "facts" pulled out in the light, and they stink like old fish.
Thanks.. If in fact JFF signed only a few items looking towards the future then the punishment was ok with me. But the reports of him signing thousands of items, if true, would make a mockery of the punishment. I do agree that if JFF got a 1/2 game then there are a lot of players who have been disciplined more for less and players who should be sitting out some competition as well. Key for me is did he sign a few things or 4-5 thousand.
Terry... Iagree with you if he signed buckets of it, that would be for only one purpose. But then a question comes up (and I think I mentioned it before): How long would it take to sign the reported 1100+ items? And assuming you had time, what would be the quality of the signatures. As anyone who has signed mortgage papers like I just did last month knows... your signature degrades QUICKLY. The brokers were so proud to show off all their pictures that were signed in the same place, and all looked the same. Really? So he did those THOUSANDS in two short sessions and they all came out exactly alike? No way. And then... one of the brokers did say he was paid to say they paid Johnny. A truly virtuous source that! :roll:
Scott, All of that sounds fine, but 1/2 of a game? If he signed a few sigs for no money, why a 1/2 game? Why any punishment? Signing a few autographs is not an infraction? If I was JF, I would be pissed. 1/2 a game just raises questions, doesn't it? :?: Well at least I get my wish, he plays in the Alabama game.
KP's thoughts echo mine. If he's guilty, throw the book at him. An Ohio State player sat out 5 games last year because he was overpaid a grand total of $3.07 for a summer job by a booster. He was just thrown under the bus with everyone else. If JFF did nothing, or you can't prove it, then you cannot possibly justify making him sit out one play of any game. It's a joke, the NCAA is a joke. He's probably getting suspended for not making sure the NCAA got their piece of the financial pie in the deal. (obviously, I'm joking but this situation is another fabricated issue by ESPN)
Actually... there is a grey area rule that says you can't sign items if it is likely it could go up for sale. I'm paraphrasing. Some of my friends who are MUCH more into the rule book than me found it. I agree the NCAA is a joke. If he did get paid, he deserves to be done. From all I've read, I don't think he did. He's guilty of being not nearly as smart off the field as he is on it. But like I said... people will believe what they want. It's over, and I'm going to watch football now.
Scott, Then they have to throw the book at him. A kid missed 5 games for Ohio State for being paid a grand total of $3.07 more than he should have last year. I have nothing against JFF, but either it is a violation or it is not. A half game is a joke. How do you justify (not you, but the NCAA) JFF's suspension to those other kids. Where is Clowney's suspension? The rule isn't gray area, it's unenforced because there's just no way to prove it even in JFF's case aside from the kid receiving money. The NCAA holds fan days sponsored by itself for bowl games in which people pay the NCAA to enter and there they can have players sign things. Who is to say those don't go out on ebay the next day? I know, I know.. Gip and George and Terry will tell me this is all on the players and that we must protect what we have...but this is just insane. They are one good lawsuit from being turned inside out. Sadly, that one lawsuit has already been filed.
Corey, think this through. Do you wait all year for the NFL to start? Because, if you start paying palyers above and beyond a six fuigure education with all the perks, college football will be the Nickolodeon version of the NFL.
I used to. Lots of people do, in fact. In your area, NFL is much more popular than college football. I've thought this through. What I don't think you guys understand, or perhaps have noticed, is just how far this has all gone. This isn't the college football you grew up loving anymore. It's the NCAA exploiting your sense of nostalgia and tradition to get away with things that would normally put people in prison. People talk about how lucky these players are, when the reality is that not one single person on that campus carries the burden that they do. NOT.ONE.SINGLE.PERSON. There's not one person who looks at the trade exchange of the NCAA student-athlete, who isn't a fan, and thinks that is a fair trade at all. There's not one thing about this system that is fair or even remotely justifiable legally. It plays off your sense of nostalgia and that's it. It uses people. The NCAA actually does nothing except make money..and use people. Something that resembles what we all love can be maintained going forward, but there's change coming. I understand that may make you angry. You'll probably blame the players. You shouldn't, but you probably will.
I don't know what world you live in Corey, but there are kids all over america who face much more burdens than a college football player who gets a free ride, free room, and free food. Sure he has to work, but college football players are hardly the only kids who work. I saw what went on at Texas for players when I was there, and I know what goes on in Austin for them now. It's the best time of their lives. What about all the poor/low income kids who are working at low paying jobs 40 hours a week and still trying to get their college education. Oh did I mention they don't get access to free tutors and help with getting the optimum schedule to allow them to coord their job and classes. Many of them live in substandard housing as well and eat Rhaman Noodles, or PB&J. What about all those kids who play football at the lower levels without scholarships, and still go to class.
Here's a good take on what happened. The only thing I really disagree with is the contention JF signed thousands of items. That's just not reasonable. NCAA Ruling
That's what it's really all about, did he sign a few items or did he sign a lot of items. As I said if he signed a few items and then got snookered by dealers who cloned his sig then I can forgive his mistake. If he signed a ton of items, I do not believe he is so stupid as to think they weren't going to be sold for profit and while maybe he didn't in fact actually get any money directly..what about Uncle Nate?
F$%k it. Let's play. I just feel sorry for all the other guys that sat out multiple games while the NCAA dawdled around and "investigated" supposed infractions. :evil: